Which leadership quality can boost performance levels to new highs, yet drive them into the ground if overused? The answer is empathy. In the new Harvard Business Review title HBR Emotional Intelligence Series: Empathy, leading experts share how empathy can be used as a powerful leadership tool and a critical component of emotional intelligence that must be understood, nurtured, and protected. With self-awareness and effort, individuals can learn to make good use of empathy to benefit themselves, their organizations, and the world.

The authors believe that:

Empathy is a key component of emotional intelligence. As a characteristic and skill based in self-awareness, empathy contributes to an individual’s emotional intelligence.

Empathic leaders are natural leaders. Individuals with empathy naturally emerge as leaders in every aspect of their lives, regardless of their formal positions.

Empathy can be developed. Empathy begins with self-awareness, then extends to a focus on others. Individuals can work toward becoming more self-aware, and thereby increase their capacity for empathy.

Empathy plays a very important role in the workplace. Empathetic leaders build trust and loyalty among their employees and increase employee well-being–all of which contribute to higher levels of performance.

Empathy is finite, and must be protected. Exhibiting too much empathy can result in burnout. Individuals must avoid overextending their use of empathy to ensure their capacity for empathy is not depleted.